Book Review: The Building of Modern Sweden: The Reign of Gustav V, 1907-1950 by O. Fritiof Ander

BOOK REVIEWS
T h e B u i l d i n g of M o d e r n S w e d e n , T h e Reign of G u s t a v V, 1 9 0 7 - 1 9 5 0.
By O. Fritiof Ander. Rock Island, Augustana College, 1958, 271 pp.
Modern Sweden is the product of the last fifty years. The "poor
man" of Europe fifty years ago, Sweden is today setting the pace in
living standards. At the turn of the century a rigid class system and
undemocratic political order held the populace in bonds. The liberal
movement which had transformed most of western Europe had by­passed
Sweden.
Other countries, entering upon the stage of industrialization late
in the day, resorted to authoritarian types of political structures in
the hope of closing the gap between themselves and the major in­dustrialized
nations as quickly as possible. Witness Germany and
Japan. Sweden, on the other hand, combined rapid industrialization
and democratization. Herein lies the significance of the development
of modern Sweden so ably told by Professor O. Fritiof Ander of
Augustana College.
No other writer has provided the American public with as com­plete
and carefully balanced account of the political developments
culminating in the long reign of the Social Democrats. Bitter contro­versy
marked the political life of Sweden. Professor Ander is emi­nently
fair to all sides in this controversy, although he quite obvious­ly
approves of the breakdown of the old undemocratic social and
political order. Hjalmar Branting emerges as a great statesman, and
Per Albin Hanson as a popular political leader. Few Swedish poli­ticians,
regardless of party, would question the accuracy of these
portrayals.
Swedish political life offers a strange paradox of being both liberal
and conservative, a fact which Professor Ander makes clear. The
rise of the Socialists, as he implies, owed much to the caution with
which leaders like Branting moved. The public demanded liberal re­forms
and an economic order resigned to make full use of the coun­try's
resources. Marxist theory, while prominent in the early days,
had little appeal. Socialists took a pragmatic approach and shunned
theory. Their goals were higher living standards and democratic con­trol
of both political institutions and economic life.
Professor Ander understands Sweden too well to fall into the trap
of interpreting Swedish political life in terms of American political
issues. Government ownership of public utilities and some industry
began under the auspices of the Conservatives. Even the Socialists
never made government ownership an end in itself. Public owner­ship
has been one way of increasing production, and has been fav-
139
ored by all parties on occasion. Similarly, all groups have accepted,
although in varying degrees, the necessity for the state to play an
important role in economic life both as regards welfare services and
in shaping economic activity to meet the nation's needs.
Unlike Americans the Swedes have seldom objected to the bigness
of a privately owned firm. Resentment against privilege, so often
directed against big business in this country and manifesting itself
in anti-trust legislation, is practically unknown in Sweden. A prac­tical
view of how best to achieve efficient production led to general
acceptance of the monopoly or near monopoly.
The chief contribution of the Socialists, aside from the achievement
of political democracy, has been the great elaboration of the welfare
state. The author mentions the many forms this has taken, but he
gives these relatively little attention. On the basis of the fact that
the state touches the life of the individual citizen at so many points
that to deal, w i t h this aspect would require a separate work, he has
left this to future writers.
Inevitably any history of Sweden reflects the fact that it is pecular-ly
subject to the economic condition of the outside world and whether
Europe is at peace or at war. It is heavily dependent on exports and
imports, and the economic barometer invariably reflects the condition
of its markets i n Great B r i t a i n , Germany, or the United States.
Likewise, a considerable portion of the political history of Sweden
centers about the two world wars. In both instances, determination
plus some good fortune enabled Sweden to remain neutral. During
the first war the government mismanaged the economy and condi­tions
were characterized by both extreme hardship and considerable
black marketing.
The Swedes fared better in the second struggle, but as the author
points out, many intellectuals emerged with a sense of apology for
a foreign policy which bordered on opportunism. He might have
added that many of the less informed came out of the struggle with a
certain sense of righteousness, convinced that wisdom, right behavior
and Per Albin had averted catastrophy. Professor Ander does not
avoid the fact that Sweden made certain moral and legal compromises
as a neutral. Few would differ with his conclusion that the country
lacked the power to do otherwise. The reader might wish that he had
given greater attention to the role of the monarch in< the making of
some of the vital decisions during the early years of the war, but
this is an issue which continues to divide Swedes and the evidence
for a definite interpretation is not yet available.
The author set as his aim the writing of a political history of
Sweden. Therefore he is not to be criticized for failing to deal with
the exciting social and cultural developments in any detail. Yet one
140
cannot help but wish that in some future work he will develop more
fully some of the perceptions which he offers. The role of the bu­reaucracy,
the deeply humanitarian feelings of the Swedish people,
and the influence of an essentially aristocratic system of education
need to be studied. Perhaps this reviewer may venture the opinion
that the labor unions are so very important to the political life of
modern Sweden that the author would have been justified in giving
them greater attention.
In an interesting concluding chapter the author presents a provoc­ative
essay on the impact of emigration to the United States on
Sweden. He speaks as our foremost authority in this field and what
he has to say is indicative of the work to be done. The new attitude
toward the emigrant who returns to Sweden represents part of a
larger movement of Americanization. The Swedes recognize the role
of the United States on the current scene and wish the United States
well. Professor Ander expresses concern over the lack of discrimi­nation
in accepting things American.
The author has made a significant and scholarly contribution in a
field which has been pre-empted by journalists and amateurs. Immi­grants
from Sweden and their children will find here a means of ac­quiring
an understanding of the "new" Sweden so different from the
country which they or their parents left. This reviewer highly rec­ommends
this book of Professor Ander.
PAUL A. VARG
Michigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i ty
R e s a till A m e r i k a 1864 m e d e m i g r a n t s k e p p e t E r n s t M e r c k . By Måns
Hultin. Introduction by Erik Gamby. (Uppsala: Bokgillets förlag,
1958. 183 pp. 24 kronor.)
"The peculiar people which in a sovereign manner and by God's
grace lives and rules in the Republic of the United States is a peo­ple
I did not like, and I may as well say this first as last." The ver­dict
is by Måns Hultin whose essays about an immigrant ship in the
1860's have been collected in this book. Hultin hates Americans and
America. He hates them in general because they are venal, boastful,
dishonest, and g a u c h e . He hates them in particular because the im­migrant
voyage he describes was initiated as a trick to conscript sol­diers
for the Union Army among Swedish workers.
The journey of the E r n s t M e r c k , half sailing vessel, half steamer,
from Stockholm to New York in 1864 is another illuminating chap­ter
in the growing chronicle of American immigration companies.
The agent in this instance was respectable enough. He was the Amer­ican
consul to Stockholm, Benjamin Franklin Tefft, Methodist pas­tor,
professor of classical language, editor of a woman's magazine, and
141

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BOOK REVIEWS
T h e B u i l d i n g of M o d e r n S w e d e n , T h e Reign of G u s t a v V, 1 9 0 7 - 1 9 5 0.
By O. Fritiof Ander. Rock Island, Augustana College, 1958, 271 pp.
Modern Sweden is the product of the last fifty years. The "poor
man" of Europe fifty years ago, Sweden is today setting the pace in
living standards. At the turn of the century a rigid class system and
undemocratic political order held the populace in bonds. The liberal
movement which had transformed most of western Europe had by­passed
Sweden.
Other countries, entering upon the stage of industrialization late
in the day, resorted to authoritarian types of political structures in
the hope of closing the gap between themselves and the major in­dustrialized
nations as quickly as possible. Witness Germany and
Japan. Sweden, on the other hand, combined rapid industrialization
and democratization. Herein lies the significance of the development
of modern Sweden so ably told by Professor O. Fritiof Ander of
Augustana College.
No other writer has provided the American public with as com­plete
and carefully balanced account of the political developments
culminating in the long reign of the Social Democrats. Bitter contro­versy
marked the political life of Sweden. Professor Ander is emi­nently
fair to all sides in this controversy, although he quite obvious­ly
approves of the breakdown of the old undemocratic social and
political order. Hjalmar Branting emerges as a great statesman, and
Per Albin Hanson as a popular political leader. Few Swedish poli­ticians,
regardless of party, would question the accuracy of these
portrayals.
Swedish political life offers a strange paradox of being both liberal
and conservative, a fact which Professor Ander makes clear. The
rise of the Socialists, as he implies, owed much to the caution with
which leaders like Branting moved. The public demanded liberal re­forms
and an economic order resigned to make full use of the coun­try's
resources. Marxist theory, while prominent in the early days,
had little appeal. Socialists took a pragmatic approach and shunned
theory. Their goals were higher living standards and democratic con­trol
of both political institutions and economic life.
Professor Ander understands Sweden too well to fall into the trap
of interpreting Swedish political life in terms of American political
issues. Government ownership of public utilities and some industry
began under the auspices of the Conservatives. Even the Socialists
never made government ownership an end in itself. Public owner­ship
has been one way of increasing production, and has been fav-
139
ored by all parties on occasion. Similarly, all groups have accepted,
although in varying degrees, the necessity for the state to play an
important role in economic life both as regards welfare services and
in shaping economic activity to meet the nation's needs.
Unlike Americans the Swedes have seldom objected to the bigness
of a privately owned firm. Resentment against privilege, so often
directed against big business in this country and manifesting itself
in anti-trust legislation, is practically unknown in Sweden. A prac­tical
view of how best to achieve efficient production led to general
acceptance of the monopoly or near monopoly.
The chief contribution of the Socialists, aside from the achievement
of political democracy, has been the great elaboration of the welfare
state. The author mentions the many forms this has taken, but he
gives these relatively little attention. On the basis of the fact that
the state touches the life of the individual citizen at so many points
that to deal, w i t h this aspect would require a separate work, he has
left this to future writers.
Inevitably any history of Sweden reflects the fact that it is pecular-ly
subject to the economic condition of the outside world and whether
Europe is at peace or at war. It is heavily dependent on exports and
imports, and the economic barometer invariably reflects the condition
of its markets i n Great B r i t a i n , Germany, or the United States.
Likewise, a considerable portion of the political history of Sweden
centers about the two world wars. In both instances, determination
plus some good fortune enabled Sweden to remain neutral. During
the first war the government mismanaged the economy and condi­tions
were characterized by both extreme hardship and considerable
black marketing.
The Swedes fared better in the second struggle, but as the author
points out, many intellectuals emerged with a sense of apology for
a foreign policy which bordered on opportunism. He might have
added that many of the less informed came out of the struggle with a
certain sense of righteousness, convinced that wisdom, right behavior
and Per Albin had averted catastrophy. Professor Ander does not
avoid the fact that Sweden made certain moral and legal compromises
as a neutral. Few would differ with his conclusion that the country
lacked the power to do otherwise. The reader might wish that he had
given greater attention to the role of the monarch in< the making of
some of the vital decisions during the early years of the war, but
this is an issue which continues to divide Swedes and the evidence
for a definite interpretation is not yet available.
The author set as his aim the writing of a political history of
Sweden. Therefore he is not to be criticized for failing to deal with
the exciting social and cultural developments in any detail. Yet one
140
cannot help but wish that in some future work he will develop more
fully some of the perceptions which he offers. The role of the bu­reaucracy,
the deeply humanitarian feelings of the Swedish people,
and the influence of an essentially aristocratic system of education
need to be studied. Perhaps this reviewer may venture the opinion
that the labor unions are so very important to the political life of
modern Sweden that the author would have been justified in giving
them greater attention.
In an interesting concluding chapter the author presents a provoc­ative
essay on the impact of emigration to the United States on
Sweden. He speaks as our foremost authority in this field and what
he has to say is indicative of the work to be done. The new attitude
toward the emigrant who returns to Sweden represents part of a
larger movement of Americanization. The Swedes recognize the role
of the United States on the current scene and wish the United States
well. Professor Ander expresses concern over the lack of discrimi­nation
in accepting things American.
The author has made a significant and scholarly contribution in a
field which has been pre-empted by journalists and amateurs. Immi­grants
from Sweden and their children will find here a means of ac­quiring
an understanding of the "new" Sweden so different from the
country which they or their parents left. This reviewer highly rec­ommends
this book of Professor Ander.
PAUL A. VARG
Michigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i ty
R e s a till A m e r i k a 1864 m e d e m i g r a n t s k e p p e t E r n s t M e r c k . By Måns
Hultin. Introduction by Erik Gamby. (Uppsala: Bokgillets förlag,
1958. 183 pp. 24 kronor.)
"The peculiar people which in a sovereign manner and by God's
grace lives and rules in the Republic of the United States is a peo­ple
I did not like, and I may as well say this first as last." The ver­dict
is by Måns Hultin whose essays about an immigrant ship in the
1860's have been collected in this book. Hultin hates Americans and
America. He hates them in general because they are venal, boastful,
dishonest, and g a u c h e . He hates them in particular because the im­migrant
voyage he describes was initiated as a trick to conscript sol­diers
for the Union Army among Swedish workers.
The journey of the E r n s t M e r c k , half sailing vessel, half steamer,
from Stockholm to New York in 1864 is another illuminating chap­ter
in the growing chronicle of American immigration companies.
The agent in this instance was respectable enough. He was the Amer­ican
consul to Stockholm, Benjamin Franklin Tefft, Methodist pas­tor,
professor of classical language, editor of a woman's magazine, and
141